The Foreign Ministry Sunday said the focus of Saturday's telephone conversation was an international conference next month on rebuilding Iraq.

The ministry also said Ms. Rice and Mr. Lavrov both expressed satisfaction with Iran's agreement to continue talks with European Union negotiators over its nuclear program.

The ministry said they also discussed cooperation in the struggle against terrorism and the review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that ended last week with participants unable to announce any significant accomplishments.

Separately, the ministry said Russia and other nations that are part of the treaty can keep working to strengthen the pact.